DeLorean DMC-12
Movie fan turns his dream car into a reality, with help from a friend.
Oh, it was because of the film, for sure,” laughs Ollie Wilkey, when explaining exactly how he came to own the lustrous DeLorean DMC-12 I see in front of me, glittering in the Somerset sunshine. “I watched the first Back To The
Future film as a kid and that was it – I was hooked.” But, as is often the case, teenage daydreams never quite got off the ground, in the beginning at least. “When I was fifteen or sixteen, I naively reckoned I’d pick up a ‘plastic-bodied’ DeLorean on the cheap, but they were actually much more expensive than I thought.” So Ollie left the idea of buying his own silver machine behind, but he never
stopped wanting one. Fast-forward a few short years, however, and things changed.
Doing the deal
“Three years ago, I started looking for a DeLorean to hire for the day, but the thought occurred to me that maybe now I would be able to afford to buy one outright. I eventually found a suitable car, and had even agreed a deal, but was gazumped at the last minute when someone else offered the seller £3k more.” Luckily however, fate intervened, and Ollie wasn’t to remain disappointed for long. “The same guy put me in touch with another chap, who had a DMC-12 in bits, so I decided to take it on.”
The previous owner had made a start on the restoration, but also had another DMC-12: “He’d decided to stick with the car that was running and ready to go, so he sold me this one.” An ex-US car, it had been painted red at some point, but returned to bare metal when it came back from America in 1991. Once the deal was done, the project began in earnest, with most of the work taking place in a barn that belongs to Ollie’s sister, Amelia-Jane’s fiancé, William Di Claudio, who also played a big part in the restoration. As an abandoned project, the car wasn’t without issues: “Lots of parts were missing, but we knew that already,” recalls Ollie, “it was just a case of trying to work out exactly what was required. I took Will to see the car before I bought it and he said it was risky to buy the car in pieces as we couldn't be completely sure what we were missing, but as long as we could get the parts, we could probably get it back together.”
Dirty work
Once the car was safely in the barn, the stripdown could begin, starting
Sourcing parts is the main issue with these cars, especially for a reasonable price
with the chassis. It was covered in nasty, tarry underseal; once the body was removed, the chassis was stripped, sent away to be acid dipped at Pro-Strip in Nottingham, then powdercoated at ABC Enamelling in Nailsea. It returned looking as good as new. “The chassis wasn’t a huge job, but it seemed like a big chunk of the restoration was done when it came back.” That famous stainless steel bodywork didn’t require too much attention, other than having the facias and rear louvres painted, so the majority of the work focused on a major overhaul of the suspension and running gear. “I don’t think there is a single piece underneath that hasn’t been either repaired or replaced,” says Ollie.
“Working alongside Will, the suspension and brakes were completely rebuilt. We fitted Spax shock absorbers, Cortina front brake discs/Jaguar rear discs, with new brake lines, brake calipers and hand brake calipers, then new fuel lines and fuel tank. The track control arms were missing, so we fitted stronger, uprated versions.” If it all sounds too easy, it certainly wasn’t. “Sourcing parts is the main issue with these cars,” says Ollie, “especially for a reasonable price. I was impatient to get on with things, however, so often paid top money for bits. Not so much with the engine rebuild, but for
DeLorean-specific parts. The wiring loom is a good example, as is the timing plate; that cost £120, which is ridiculous really, when you see what it is and what it looks like.”
Plundering parts
At least spares were readily available, however. “The DeLorean Motor Company US has a depot in Holland, so I was able to get lots of parts through them. It may not have been the most cost-effective method, but it was handy being able to easily source the bits I wanted, while their exploded diagrams were invaluable when figuring out exactly what we needed.” Will also used his engineering skills to make up some hard-to-find components, such as the alternator bracket, which helped to save some money. One
We had a lot of niggling electrical issues, such as fans not cooling the engine properly
A choice of black or grey leather was available from 1981-onwards.
component that was reused was the exhaust system. “I considered a stainless steel version, but decided against it,” recalls Ollie. “It just seemed pricey for something you don’t really see. The original is fine, so if it ain’t broke…” The interior, complete with black leather seats, was also declared fit to go again and required nothing more than a clean up. The rear bumper was resprayed, too: “The DeLorean lettering was originally painted white,” explains Ollie, “which looks okay in pictures, but not great up close. I got the lettering redone in stainless steel, which looks superb.”
Engine rebuild
By the back end of 2012, although the project was progressing well, there was one thing holding things up – the engine, or rather, lack of it. The car was missing it’s Peugeot/ Renault/Volvo ‘PRV’ V6 engine when Ollie acquired it, but the previous owner came up trumps again at this point: “He found me an engine from a Volvo 760, which Will rebuilt with new pulleys, belts, hoses, alternator, starter motor and throttle cable.” By early 2013, the DMC-12 was looking like a car again, but it was to be another six months or so before it was truly MoT ready. “We had lots of niggling electrical issues, with the fans not cooling the engine, which slowed us down. Numerous auto electricians struggled to diagnose the problem, but eventually we traced it to an incorrect fan relay, which didn't supply current.”
Living the dream
Finally, in September 2013, the car was successfully granted a fresh MoT, meaning Ollie could fulfil his childhood dream and hit the road. “The effort was definitely worth it,” beams Ollie. “I love driving the car, although the steering is on the heavy side; power steering would really help it. To be fair, it was intended for American roads and going in a straight line most of the time. I’d prefer a manual gearbox, but the automatic is definitely easier to drive, especially for taller drivers. For what you want the car for – relaxing Sunday drives and gentle cruising – the automatic is perfect; it’s not really a performance car, so it works well.”
When I ask Ollie whether he’d do it again, his answer is surprising, but emphatic: ”I’d liken it to a hangover – you know, that feeling like you never, ever, want to drink again! Of course, you always forget that you ever felt that bad. I probably would consider doing another, but next time I’d be more patient. With this one I was caught up in the exuberance of simply getting on the road; I’d take my time doing it again. I just love these cars.”